Newly Constructed Portofino Facility Goes Through Fire Prevention & Control Testing Before Opening

Vecenergy recently completed construction of its new Portofino Terminal located at Port Everglades in Hollywood, FL. One of the last tasks before allowing customers to enter the facility was to work with local Fire Department officials and crews to create a fire control plan for the entire terminal.

District Fire Chief Harris Henbest (below left) oversees the Broward County team testing the department’s water cannon at the Portofino terminal. The device supports multiple hose connections to shoot water, as well as a foam mixture, at a target from a distance of up to 300 feet.

With the Portofino tanks exceeding 70 feet in height, the teams selected an initial stationing area (bottom left) to begin testing. The cannon was then moved back to a safer area for firefighters (right) to manage against the extreme heat of a potential fire. Even with the additional distance for safety, the cannon was still able to reach the top of the tank selected for testing (below right).

With the intended results achieved by the Fire Department, testing ended for day one. They returned for additional testing over the following two days to ensure all tanks and service areas were able to be supported in an emergency.

Luis Bomback, Operations Manager, worked closely with Chief Henbest to ensure all requirements were met by the Fire Department, the terminal, and South Florida Petroleum Services over the threeday period.